Fencing system and post insert for use therewith

ABSTRACT

A fencing system includes a post mount mountable on a foundation and having a vertically extending outer surface. A post insert sits atop the post mount and has an outer surface disposed outwardly of the post mount outer surface. The post insert has an upper sidewall which extends upwardly of the post mount and defines an upwardly opening cavity. A post includes a sidewall having an inner surface defining a cavity therein in which the post mount and post insert are slidably received with the outer surface of the post insert preferably closely adjacent the post inner surface. A rail is mounted via a rail mounting bracket to the post insert. Threaded fasteners extend from the rail mounting bracket through respective holes in the post and are threaded into mounting holes in the post insert to provide a strong connection for the mounting of the rail mounting bracket and rail.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/046,499 filed Jan. 28, 2005, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The invention relates generally to a fencing system or railing system.More particularly, the invention relates to a fencing system having apost support which provides sturdy mounting of the railing structure.Specifically, the invention relates to such a post support having a postinsert mounted atop a post mount with the railing structure secured tothe post insert.

2. Background Information

Fencing and railing systems commonly utilize vertically mounted poststructures with horizontal railing structures extending between andmounted on adjacent post structures. It is known in the art to utilize apost mount which is mounted on the ground or to a floor structure ofsome sort with the post mount slidably received within a hollow postwhereby various types of structure attached to the post mount engagesthe inner surface of the post in order to provide support to the post.The various structure mounted on the post mount to help support the posteither is disposed closely adjacent the inner surface of the post or incontact with said inner surface. One example of such a configuration isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,928 granted to the Applicant. Saidpatent discloses a post mount having fins or other outwardly projectingstructure formed integrally therewith which frictionally engage theinner surface of the post to provide support thereto. Another example isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,718,710 granted to the Applicant. Saidpatent discloses a post mount having a head seated atop the post mountwith a plurality of tabs extending outwardly therefrom whichfrictionally engage the inner surface of the post to provide supportthereto. Both of said patents are incorporated herein by reference.Other post mounts are known in the arts which have somewhat similarstructures.

While these patents and other structures provide suitable support to thepost for many purposes, there remains a need in the art for a connectionbetween the railing structure and the post structures whereby saidconnection is substantially sturdier than those presently known. Mosttypically, the railing structures are secured by a fastener typically inthe form of a screw or bolt to the post itself. Especially for railingstructures that are elevated substantially above the ground or floor towhich the post mount is attached, such a connection is not as sturdy asdesired for certain applications.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a post insert for use with a fencingsystem comprising a post mount which has an upper end with anupwardly-facing surface, a lower end and an outer surface extendingtherebetween and a cavity in the upper end bounded by an inner surfaceand which is adapted to be mounted adjacent the lower end thereof to afoundation; a structural member having an inner surface defining acavity in an end of the structural member; the post mount being slidablyreceived in the cavity of the structural member with the inner surfaceof the structural member spaced outwardly from the outer surface of thepost mount; and a rail structure secured to the structural member; thepost insert comprising: a body; a lower section on the body insertableinto the cavity of the post mount; an upper section on the bodyconnected to and extending upwardly from the lower section; and an outersurface on the upper section disposed outwardly of the lower sidewalland adapted to abut the inner surface of the structural member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the invention, illustrative of the best modesin which applicant contemplates applying the principles, are set forthin the following description and are shown in the drawings and areparticularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appendedclaims.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing the fence system of the presentinvention with the posts and railing structures in solid lines and thepost mount, post insert and related structure in dashed lines.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a first embodiment of the post insertof the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the first embodiment of the post insertshown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of FIG. 1showing the first embodiment of the post insert in relation to thevarious other structures of the fence system.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 and shows a second embodiment of the postinsert of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a third embodiment of the post insertof the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the third embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4 showing the thirdembodiment of the post insert in relation to various other structures ofthe third embodiment of the fence system.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the specification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The fencing system of the present invention is indicated generally at 10in FIG. 1. System 10 includes a post mount 12 which is mounted on afoundation or base structure 14 such as a floorboard of a floor orplatform, a concrete floor or the like or the ground itself. Post mount12 is typically mounted on a plate 16 adjacent a lower end 20 thereof bywelding, for example, and mounted via plate 16 to base structure 14 viabolts 18 or other suitable fasteners known in the art. Some examples ofmounting structures for mounting a post mount are described in moredetail in the above-referenced patents granted to the Applicant. Postmount 12 has an upper end 22 and is elongated between lower and upperends 20 and 22, having a height H1 extending from upper end 20 to lowerend 22.

In accordance with a feature of the invention and with continuedreference to FIG. 1, system 10 includes a post insert 24 mounted atoppost mount 12 adjacent upper end 22 thereof and distal lower end 20, aswill be further detailed below. System 10 may also include outwardprojections 26 which extend outwardly from post mount 12. System 10further includes a hollow post 28 having an upper end 29 and a lower end31 which slides over post insert 24, projections 26, post mount 12 andplate 16. System 10 may include a cap member 30 seated atop post 28.System 10 includes an upper rail structure 32 and a lower rail structure34 each mounted between a pair of adjacent posts 28. Upper railstructure 32 includes a rail 36 having a first end 38 and a second end40 opposed thereto with rail 36 being elongated there between. Upperrail structure 32 further includes a rail mounting bracket 42 mounted oneach post 28 as necessary to support rail 36 adjacent first end 38thereof. Another rail mounting bracket 44 is mounted on each post 28whereby the bracket 44 mounted on an adjacent post 28 supports rail 36adjacent second end 40 thereof.

Lower rail structure 34 likewise includes a rail 46 having a first end48 and the second end 50 opposed thereto and being elongated betweenends 48 and 50. Lower rail structure 34 also includes a rail mountingbracket 52 mounted on each post 28 for supporting rail 46 adjacent firstend 48 thereof. Another rail mounting bracket 54 is mounted on each post28 opposite a respective rail mounting bracket 52 whereby each railmounting bracket 54 supports one of rails 46 adjacent respective secondend 50 thereof. Lower rail structure 34 is mounted in a conventionalmanner to a pair of adjacent posts 28.

With reference to FIGS. 2-4, post insert 24 is further detailed. Postinsert 24 has an upper end 55 and a lower end 57 and is elongatedtherebetween, with lower end 57 being spaced upwardly a substantialdistance (nearly that of height H1) from lower end 20 of post mount 12.Post insert 24 has a height H2 (FIG. 2) extending from upper end 55 tolower end 57. Height H1 (FIG. 1) of post mount 12 is over three timesthat of height H2 of post insert 24. Post insert 24 includes an uppersleeve or sidewall 56 having an outer surface 58 and an inner surface 60(FIG. 4) defining an interior chamber or upwardly opening cavity 62.Upper sidewall 56 is substantially square as viewed from above or belowalthough the shape may vary. Preferably however, sidewall 56 isnon-circular in cross-section. Upper sidewall 56 extends upwardly from aseparating wall 64 (FIG. 4) which serves as a base wall bounding thelower end of cavity 62. Upper sidewall 56 has a lower end 65 coincidentwith a lower surface of separating wall 64 and a height H3 (FIG. 2)extending from upper end 55 to lower end 65 which is approximately ¾that of height H2 of post insert 24. Upper sidewall 56 includes fourexterior flat portions 66 (FIGS. 2-3). Sidewall 56 defines a pair ofholes 68 along one of the flat portions 66 and a second pair of holes 70along opposed front portion 66 (FIG. 4). Holes 68 and 70 may be threadedif desired.

With continued reference to FIGS. 2-4, post insert 24 further includes acollar 72 extending downwardly from separating wall 64. Collar 72includes a lower sidewall 74 which is substantially square in crosssection and has an outer surface 76 and an inner surface 78 defining aninterior chamber or downwardly opening cavity 80. Lower sidewall 74 isstepped inwardly from upper sidewall 56 at lower end 65 of sidewall 56whereby outer surface 76 of lower sidewall 74 is disposed inwardly ofouter surface 58 of upper sidewall 56. Lower sidewall 74 has a height H4(FIG. 2) extending from lower end 65 of upper sidewall 56 to lower end57 of post insert 24. Height H3 of upper sidewall 56 is approximatelythree times that of height H4 of lower sidewall 74. Lower sidewall 74includes four substantially flat walls 82 with a respective projectionor strengthening rib 84 extending outwardly from each flat wall 82 andformed integrally therewith. Each rib 84 extends from adjacent lower end57 of post insert 24 to separating wall 64 to which rib 84 is connectedand with which it is integrally formed. Collar 72 includes fourprojections 86 each of which extends inwardly from lower sidewall 74 andis integrally formed therewith, each projection 86 defining a portion ofinner surface 78 and defining a portion of downwardly opening cavity 80.More particularly, each projection 86 extends inwardly from a respectiveflat wall 82 of sidewall 74. Projections 86 are disposed adjacentseparating wall 64 which bounds an upper end of cavity 80.

With reference to FIG. 4, post mount 12 is further detailed. Post mount12 is a hollow structure including a sidewall 88 which is substantiallysquare in cross-section and has an outer surface 90. The squarecross-sectional configuration provides for four exterior flat portions92 (only two flat portions 92 are shown in FIG. 4). Post mount 12adjacent upper end 22 thereof is slidably received within downwardlyopening cavity 80 of post insert 24 so that upper end 22 abutsseparating wall 64 of post insert 24. Thus, the lower surface ofseparating wall 64 is disposed a distance equal to height H1 (FIG. 1)from lower end 20 of post mount 12 when post insert 24 is mounted onpost mount 12. In addition, outer surface 90 of sidewall 88 of postinsert 24 engages inner surface 78 of lower sidewall 74 alongprojections 86. More particularly, each flat portion 92 of sidewall 88is in frictional engagement with a respective inward projection 86.

With further reference to FIG. 4, each outward projection 26 mounted onpost mount 12 includes an upper substantially horizontal leg 94 whichextends outwardly from and is connected to post mount 12 adjacent andspaced downwardly from upper end 22. A tab 96 angles downwardly andoutwardly from and is connected to leg 94, each tab 96 having anoutermost edge 98. Lower end 57 of post insert 24 is seated atop anupper surface of leg 94 of each outward projection 26.

With continued reference to FIG. 4, post 28 has a sidewall 100 which issubstantially square in cross-section and is elongated between upper end29 and lower end 31 (FIG. 1). Sidewall 100 has an outer surface 102 andan inner surface 104 defining an interior chamber or cavity 106 whichopens upwardly adjacent upper end 29 and opens downwardly adjacent lowerend 31. Outer surface 102 of sidewall 100 includes four flat exteriorsurfaces 108, two of which are shown in FIG. 4. Inner surface 104 ofsidewall 100 includes four interior flat surfaces 110, three of whichare shown in FIG. 4. Sidewall 100 defines a pair of holes 112 extendingfrom one exterior flat surface 108 to a corresponding interior flatsurface 110 whereby holes 112 are aligned with respective holes 68 inpost insert 24. Sidewall 100 also defines a pair of holes 114 extendingfrom another exterior flat surface 108 to a corresponding interior flatsurface 110, the latter of said flat surfaces 108 and 110 being on theopposite side of post 28 from holes 112. Holes 114 are alignedrespectively with holes 70 in post insert 24. Holes 68, 70, 112 and 114are all disposed upwardly of upper end 22 of post mount 12.

When assembled (FIG. 4), post insert 24, post mount 12 and outwardprojections 26 are slidably received within cavity 106 of post 28.Outermost edges 98 of tabs 96 of projections 26 are in frictionalengagement with respective interior flat surfaces 110 of sidewall 100 ofpost 28. Post insert 24 is positioned within cavity 106 of post 28 sothat upper end 55 of post mount 24 is adjacent upper end 29 of post 28.In addition, outer surface 58 of post insert 24 is disposed closelyadjacent or in contact with inner surface 104 of post 28. In particular,each flat portion 66 of post insert 24 is closely adjacent or in contactwith a respective interior flat surface 110 of post 28. Moreparticularly, outer surface 58 is closely adjacent inner surface 104 ofpost 28 adjacent upper end 55 and lower end 65 of sidewall 56.Preferably, outer surface 58 of sidewall 56 is in its entirety closelyadjacent inner surface 104 of post 28.

With continued reference to FIG. 4, rail mounting bracket 42 includes abase wall 116 and a collar 118 extending outwardly therefrom to define acavity 120 in which first end 38 of one rail 36 is slidably receivedwith first end 38 closely adjacent or in contact with base wall 116.Collar 118 and base wall 116 of bracket 42 further define a pair ofcounterbore holes 122 which are aligned with respective holes 114 inpost 28 and 70 in post insert 24. A pair of fasteners in the form ofthreaded screws 124 are each inserted via one of counterbore holes 122through respective holes 114 and 70, with each screw 124 threadablyengaging hole 70 to secure rail mounting bracket 42 to post insert 24with a portion of sidewall 100 of post 28 sandwiched therebetween,thereby mounting upper rail structure 32 to post 28 and post mount 12.

Thus, in accordance with a feature of the invention, rail mountingbracket 42 is connected to post insert 24 as opposed to being connectedsolely to post 28, thereby providing a substantially sturdierconnection. In addition, because upper sidewall 56 of post insert 24extends upwardly of upper end 22 of post mount 12, rail mounting bracket42 is disposed upwardly of upper end 22 of post mount 12. Indeed,bracket 42 is disposed entirely above upper end 22 of post mount 12whereby first end 38 of rail 36 is also disposed entirely above upperend 22. Since each rail 36 is substantially straight and substantiallyhorizontal, each rail 36 therefore is disposed entirely above upper end22 of post 12 so that the entire rail structure 32 is disposed entirelyabove upper end 22 of post 12. Rail mounting bracket 44 has the sameconfiguration as rail mounting bracket 42 or is a mirror image thereof,is numbered similarly and mounted as described with regard to bracket42. Thus, second end 40 of second rail 36 is received in cavity 120 ofmounting bracket 44 with second end 40 disposed closely adjacent or incontact with base wall 116 of bracket 44. Similar to bracket 42, railmounting bracket 44 is secured to post insert 24 by a pair of threadedscrews 124 extending via respective counterbore holes 122 throughrespective holes 112 and 68 with each screw 124 threadably engaging hole68. Cap member 30 is seated atop post 28 to protect the hollow interiorchamber 106 thereof from the elements and provide preferred aesthetics.

With reference to FIG. 5, fencing system 200 is described. System 200 issimilar to system 10 except that it has a post insert 202 which isslightly different than that of post insert 24 of system 10. Inparticular, post insert 202 is similar to post insert 24 except withregard to a collar 204 which differs from collar 72 of post insert 24.Collar 204 is free of inward projections such as projections 86 of postinsert 24. Thus, collar 204 includes a lower sidewall 206 having asubstantially square inner surface 208 which is in mating configurationto outer surface 90 of post mount 12 along virtually the entire lengthof the portion of post mount 12 adjacent upper end 22 thereof which isslidably received within a downwardly opening cavity 210 defined byinner surface 208 of collar 204. In addition, collar 204 defines aplurality of holes as at 212 through which respective fasteners in theform of threaded screws 214 extend and threadably engage holes 216(which may or may not be threaded) formed in post mount 12 adjacentupper end 22 thereof to further secure post insert 202 to post mount 12.Screws 214 are optional and may be used in the first embodiment as wellif desired.

Thus, fencing systems 10 and 200 provide a sturdier mounting system thanis known of in the prior art. In particular, post insert 24 provides asturdier mounting structure to which upper rail structure 32 may bemounted. In particular, post inserts 24 and 202 each provide a structureother than the post itself to which the rail structures or rail mountingbrackets are directly secured. Further, outer surface 58 of post insert24 provides a substantial surface area which is disposed closelyadjacent or in contact with inner surface 104 of post 28, thus providinggreater stability or sturdiness via a surface area which is larger thanin known prior art as well as a substantial area which is closelyadjacent or in abutment with the inner surface of the post. Post insert24 or 202 is also firmly mounted atop post mount 12 as previouslydescribed with engagement with post mount 12 and inward projections 86of post insert 24 or the elongated inner surface 208 of post insert 202.In addition, lower end 57 of post insert 24 or 202 abuts legs 94 ofprojections 26 to enhance the stable mounting of post inserts 24 and202. Fasteners such as screws 214 may also increase this stability.Moreover, post mounts 24 and 202 extend primarily upwardly of upper end22 of post mount 12, thereby allowing post mount 12 to be shorter whilethe post mount provides sufficient height for mounting of the railstructure.

It will be evident to one skilled in the art that a variety of changescould be made to present embodiments described which are within thescope of the present invention. For example, as previously mentioned orimplied, the cross-sectional shapes of the post, the post insert and thepost mount may take on a variety of shapes other than square while stillbeing within the scope of the present invention. As previously noted,preferably these cross-sectional shapes are non-circular in order tofacilitate the alignment of the various pieces and related holes andfasteners. In addition, it is preferred that the cross-sectional shapeof the outer surface of the post insert upper sidewall is substantiallythe same as that of the inner surface of the post. It is also preferredthat this be the case for the outer surface of the post mount and theinner surface of the lower sidewall of the post insert in the area wherethey engage one another.

Most typically, post mount 12 is formed of a metal or metal alloy toprovide the desired strength, although this may vary for certainapplications. Most typically, the post mounts are formed of anextrudable shape to keep costs lower. Similarly, the posts and rails aremost preferably formed of extrudable materials and shapes. Mostcommonly, the rails, rail mounting brackets, post and post insert willbe formed of a sturdy plastic material, although again this may vary inaccordance with the application.

In addition, rail structures 36 and 46 are shown in the drawings asbeing formed from more than one piece, namely a rail 36 and railmounting bracket 42 or 44. Such a configuration allows the rail to beextrudable as previously noted. However, it is contemplated that therail structure may be a one-piece member which may be formed integrallyand has suitable flanges or other structure suitable for mounting to thepost insert. Most preferably, the rail structures are mounted to thepost insert via fasteners which extend through holes as described andmost preferably involve a threaded engagement between the fastener andthe post insert. However, other types of suitable fasteners may be usedto secure the rail structure to the post insert. For example, fastenerswhich extend through holes analogous to those described herein and whichengage a second fastening member such as a nut may be used. Althoughthis type fastener may require additional effort during assembly, theupwardly opening cavity of the post insert provides access from above topermit the use of these types of fasteners.

In addition, the collars of the post inserts as described herein definea cavity which slidably receives an upper end of the post mount in orderto mount the post insert atop the post mount. However, it iscontemplated that the first insert may be mounted with a downwardlyextended projection which is inserted into the hollow interior of thepost mount. However, a collar or similar structure disposed outwardly inthe post mount is preferred to provide greater stability. Further,outward projections such as projections 26 which extend from the postmount may be eliminated although they provide additional support to thepost insert as well as the post. The specific heights detailed hereinmay vary. However, the heights which are specified represent typicalrelationships between various structures of which those heights aregiven. Other changes within the scope of the invention will be evidentto one skilled in the art.

A third embodiment of the post insert is shown generally at 302 in FIG.6 and in use with a fence system 300 shown in FIG. 8. Post insert 302 ispreferably formed as an integral one-piece member which is typicallyformed of a rigid plastic material which may be formed in a single moldby injection molding or the like. Post insert 302 has upper and lowerends 304 and 306 defining therebetween height H2, as previouslydiscussed with the earlier embodiments, which is preferably greater thanor at least as great as the height of mounting brackets 42 and 44. Postinsert 302 comprises a body which includes an upper section or sidewall308 and a lower section or sidewall 310 which extends downwardlytherefrom and has a smaller cross-section than that of upper sidewall308. Upper sidewall 308 has a lower end 312 so that upper end 304 andlower end 312 define therebetween height H3 as discussed with theprevious embodiments. Lower sidewall 310 has an upper end 314 coincidentwith lower end 312 of upper sidewall 308. Upper and lower ends 314define therebetween height H4 as previously discussed with the earlierembodiments. Lower sidewall 310 has a cross-section substantiallysmaller than that of the lower sidewalls of the previous embodiments andis configured to be received within an upper end of post mount 12 (FIG.8). More particularly, post mount 12 has a substantially square innersurface 316 defining an interior chamber or cavity 318 therewithin whichcommunicates with the upper end of post mount 12 which includes anupwardly facing surface 320.

Upper sidewall 308 has a substantially square cross-sectionalconfiguration as viewed from above or below and includes foursubstantially flat vertically extending mounting walls 322A-D which arerespectively connected to one another at four corners of upper sidewall308 and collectively form an outer surface 324 thereof. Outer surface324 on each mounting wall 322 thus includes a respective external flatportion 326. Upper sidewall 308 has an inner surface 328 which definesan upper cavity 330 which opens upwardly at upper end 304 and is closedat the bottom by a laterally extending separating wall 332 which istypically horizontal and from which sidewall 308 extends upwardly. Uppercavity 330 is substantially rectangular as viewed from the side andsubstantially square as viewed from above.

A pair of upper holes 334 (FIG. 8) are formed respectively in opposedmounting walls 322B and 322C each extending from inner surface 328 toouter surface 324 and respectively aligned with upper holes 112 and 114formed in post 28. Upper holes 334 are adjacent upper end 304 of postinsert 302. A pair of lower holes are formed respectively through walls322B and 322C adjacent lower end 312 of sidewall 308 and are alignedwith respective lower holes 112 and 114 formed in post 28. Holes 334 and336 are respectively received therein screws 124 to secure mountingbrackets 42 and 44 to upper sidewall 308 in a similar manner describedin the previous embodiments. Outer surface 324 thus extends upwardlyabove the upper end of post mount 12 and abuts inner surface 104 of post28 with flat portions 326 abutting respective flat portions 110.Separating wall 332 serves as a bottom wall extending inwardly from eachof mounting walls 322 and preferably extends in a continuous mannerbetween the opposed mounting walls. Separating wall 332 is substantiallysquare and defines horizontal lower surface 312 of upper sidewall 308.

Lower sidewall 310 has a substantially square cross-sectionalconfiguration and is connected centrally to wall 332 and extendsdownwardly from lower surface 312. The cross-sectional configuration oflower sidewall 310 is substantially smaller than that of upper sidewall308. Lower sidewall 310 includes four substantially flat verticallyextending walls 338A-D which are respectively parallel to mounting walls322A-D and together define an outer surface 340 of sidewall 310including four external flat portions or surfaces 342 respectively onwalls 338. Outer surface 340 also includes vertically extending beveledcorners or surfaces 343 which extend downwardly from surface 312 toadjacent lower end 306 and each of which is typically at an angle ofabout 45 degrees to each of outer surfaces 342 which it intersects.Beveled surfaces 343 may also be rounded or otherwise shaved toeliminate sharp corners which might otherwise engage post mount 12 toprevent insertion of lower sidewall 310 therein or make it moredifficult to insert. Sidewall 310 has an inner surface 344 defining asubstantially square lower cavity 346 which is bounded at the top bylower surface 312 of wall 332 and extends and opens downwardly at lowerend 306. Lower sidewall 310 tapers inwardly at respective taperedsurfaces 348 extending respectively along walls 338A-D such thatsurfaces 348 communicate with lower end 306. Tapered surfaces 348facilitate the insertion of lower sidewall 310 into cavity 318 of postmount 12. In the exemplary embodiment, the walls of 338 of lower section310 have a thickness extending in the horizontal direction which isabout the same as the thickness of wall 332 extending in a verticaldirection. Walls 322 of upper section 308 are substantially thicker thaneither of walls 338 or 332 and more particularly in the exemplaryembodiment have a thickness extending in the horizontal direction whichis approximately twice that of either of walls 332 and 338.

Referring to FIG. 8, a pair of holes 350 are formed respectively throughwalls 338B and 338C and are aligned with holes 352 formed through postmount 12 adjacent its upper end. Holes 350 and 352 receive therethrougha fastener in the form of a bolt 354 which threadedly engages a, nut 356to secure post insert 302 to post mount 12 adjacent its upper end. Whilesuch a fastener is preferred for additional security, post insert 302may be used without such a fastener and simply positioned so that lowersurface 312 is seated on upwardly facing surface 320 of post mount 12.Lower surface 312 thus serves as a stop engaging upper surface 320 toprevent downward movement of post insert 302 relative to post mount 12.

Post insert 302 has a body which includes a lower section having anouter surface 340 which extends substantially vertically and abutsvertical inner surface 316 of post mount 12 adjacent its upper end,preferably providing a snug frictional engagement therebetween so thatpost insert 302 either is not or is only minimally laterally movablerelative to post mount 12 even without the use of a fastener. The bodyof post insert 302 includes a laterally extending downwardly facingsurface 312 which extends laterally outwardly from surface 340 to engageupwardly facing surface 320 and in the exemplary embodiment issubstantially horizontal. The body of post insert 302 further includesan outer surface 324 which extends upwardly from laterally extendingsurface 312 and abuts the substantially vertical inner surface 104 ofpost 28 when received therein. In the exemplary embodiment, firstsection 308 is disposed entirely above post mount 12. Thus, no portionof post insert 302 is disposed below the upper end 320 of post mountexternal to post mount 12 and thus no portion of post insert 302 engagesouter surface 90 of post mount 12. However, it is contemplated that apost insert may be formed similar to post insert 302 which alsoincorporates a structure similar to sidewall 74 of post insert 24 (FIG.2) which is disposed external to post insert 12 and engages its outersurface to provide additional stability.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to beimplied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because suchterms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadlyconstrued.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is anexample and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown ordescribed.

1. A post insert for use with a fencing system comprising a post mountwhich has an upper end with an upwardly-facing surface, a lower end andan outer surface extending therebetween and a cavity in the upper endbounded by an inner surface and which is adapted to be mounted adjacentthe lower end thereof to a foundation; a structural member having aninner surface defining a cavity in an end of the structural member; thepost mount being slidably received in the cavity of the structuralmember with the inner surface of the structural member spaced outwardlyfrom the outer surface of the post mount; and a rail structure securedto the structural member; the post insert comprising: a body; a lowersection on the body insertable into the cavity of the post mount; anupper section on the body connected to and extending upwardly from thelower section; and an outer surface on the upper section disposedoutwardly of the lower sidewall and adapted to abut the inner surface ofthe structural member.
 2. The post insert of claim 1 further comprisinga lower end on the lower section which tapers inwardly to facilitateinsertion of the lower section into the cavity of the post mount.
 3. Thepost insert of claim 1 further comprising an outer surface on the lowersection adapted to abut the inner surface of the post mount.
 4. The postinsert of claim 3 further comprising a laterally extending wallconnected to the lower section and extending outwardly of the outersurface of the lower section.
 5. The post insert of claim 4 wherein thelaterally extending wall is adapted to abut the upwardly-facing surfaceof the post mount.
 6. The post insert of claim 3 wherein the outersurface of the lower section comprises a plurality of flat surfaces anda plurality of beveled corners each extending between an adjacent pairof the flat surfaces.
 7. The post insert of claim 1 further comprisingan outer surface on the lower section; and a hole formed in the lowersection extending inwardly from the outer surface adapted to receivetherein a fastener.
 8. The post insert of claim 7 further comprisingfirst and second opposed sides on the outer surface of the lowersection; and wherein the hole is a through hole extending from the firstside to the second side.
 9. The post insert of claim 8 wherein the lowersection is formed as an integral one-piece member.
 10. The post insertof claim 1 further comprising an outer surface on the lower section; anda fastener extending outwardly from the outer surface of the lowersection and adapted to extend to the inner surface of the post mount.11. The post insert of claim 10 further comprising a hole formed in thelower section extending inwardly from the outer surface; and wherein thefastener is disposed in the hole in the lower section.
 12. The postinsert of claim 1 wherein the post insert is formed as an integralone-piece member.
 13. The post insert of claim 1 in combination with thepost mount; and wherein the lower section is inserted in the cavity ofthe post mount.
 14. The post insert of claim 13 further comprising anouter surface on the lower section abutting the inner surface of thepost mount.
 15. The post insert of claim 13 further comprising thestructural member; and wherein the outer surface of the upper sectionabuts the inner surface of the structural member.
 16. The post insert ofclaim 15 further comprising a rail mounting bracket; and a fastenerextending from the rail mounting bracket through the structural memberto the upper section to secure the mounting bracket and structuralmember to the post insert.
 17. The post insert of claim 1 furthercomprising an outer surface on the lower section; and a fastenerextending from the outer surface of the lower section to the innersurface of the post mount to secure the post insert to the post mount.18. The post insert of claim 17 further comprising a hole formed in thepost mount in which the fastener is disposed.
 19. The post insert ofclaim 18 further comprising a hole formed in the lower section in whichthe fastener is disposed.
 20. The post insert of claim 17 furthercomprising a hole formed in the lower section in which the fastener isdisposed.